Greens propose raising tax-free threshold and $1,000 welfare boost, eSafety commissioner reports online abuse

Green leader David Shoebridge told the National Press Club that the party will seek to raise the tax-free threshold from $18,200 to $26,000, which he says would save the average working Australian by more than $1,000 a year. The Greens also intend to introduce a $1,000 annual increase for people on income support, including pensioners, carers, students and job seekers.

The Parliamentary Budget Office estimates the package would cost about $22 billion annually. Shoebridge said the funding would come from higher taxes on gas exports and a market-based levy on resources companies.

In a separate Senate estimates hearing, eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said she and her family have experienced ongoing online abuse and threats during her decade in the role. She warned that social media has become “more like a gladiatorial arena” and called for stronger protections for public officials and younger users.

The Greens’ proposals and the commissioner’s remarks come amid broader debates over social-media regulation, with opposition figures criticizing the government’s e-safety reforms and calling for clearer definitions and safeguards for small businesses.